Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz

Abdi's World, by Abdi Abdirahman

July 19, 2021
Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz
Abdi's World, by Abdi Abdirahman
Show Notes

Abdi's World is the story of Abdi Abdirahman's life starting when he left his home in Somalia in 1991 with his parents and siblings. Abdi was just barely a teen at the time. He and his family went from having a middle-class lifestyle to having only each other, but Abdi expresses gratitude throughout the book for the many people who helped him along the way.  Abdi will represent the USA in the 2021 Olympics in the marathon, and is the oldest prson to qualify for a US Olympic team. He has had a long and successful career in running, and his journey, as well as the book, spans six Olympic cycles!

One thing that Abdi doesn't seem to pay much attention to is when people try to tell him that it might be time to retire his running shoes. He loves the sport and tries to learn from each experience. The book is divided into six Olympic cycles which each have a lesson:

PART I: SYDNEY 2000 - A LESSON IN POSSIBILITIES
PART II: ATHENS 2004 - A LESSON IN BELONGING
PART III: BEIJING 2008 - A LESSON IN BELIEF
PART IV: LONDON 2012 - A LESSON IN HUMILITY
PART V: RIO DE JANEIRO 2016 - A LESSON IN PERSEVERANCE
PART VI: TOKYO 2020-21 - A LESSON IN UNITY

Abdi Abdirahman is the only American distance runner to qualify for five Olympic Games. Born in Somalia, he came to Tucson, Arizona, at age 16 after his family escaped civil war in their home country. He became an American citizen in 2000 and has represented the United States at the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and soon the 2020 Olympics to be held in 2021.

If you are interested in getting a copy of Abdi's World, it is available on the Soulstice Publishing website at https://soulsticepublishing.com/product/abdi-book/ 

Big thank you to the publisher, Soulstice Publishing, for providing a review copy of the book, and to author, Abdi Abdirahman, for speaking with us. A special thanks to Rebekah Epstein for reaching out to suggest this fantastic read!

Support the show

Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_running
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/
Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com
If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews